The weather forecast for Thursday in Bengaluru is not great as the chance of rain is over 30% and increases further in the second half of the day, but it is not as bad as Wednesday. Constant rain and dark clouds flooded Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand. The drizzle was so constant throughout the day that even the Chinnaswamy Stadium's excellent drainage system was not enough to get the game going. The call came around 2:30 p.m. This came an hour after there was firm hope for action when the rain stopped for about 40 minutes between 1 and 2 p.m. But that soon disappeared because the rain returned after 2 p.m.

This was the first time in 11 years that the first day of a Test match in India involving the hosts was canceled without a ball being bowled. The last time this happened was in Mohali in 2013 during a Test match between India and Australia.

The defeat on the first day effectively reduced the first Test between India and New Zealand to a four-day affair. The throw took place at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday. The game was scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m.

Different rules for the 1st Test between India and New Zealand

When the match begins in Bengaluru, it will be played under different conditions than a normal five-day Test match. According to the MCC Laws of the Game, if the first day of a Test match is canceled without a ball being bowled, it will be considered a reduced Test match and the playing conditions will therefore change slightly.

With early starts and varying session times, an attempt will be made to bowl a maximum of 98 overs per day for the remaining days of the Test match. However, there are significant changes regarding the subsequent regulation.

“If there was no game on the first match day of a game lasting more than one day, 14.1 applies in accordance with the number of days remaining from the start of the game. The day on which the game first begins is considered a full day for this purpose, regardless of the time of the start of the game,” states MCC Law 14.3.

“14.1.1 In a two-innings match of 5 days or more, the side batting first and leading by at least 200 runs shall have the option of requiring the other side to follow its innings.

“14.1.2 The same option is available in two-innings games of shorter duration with the following minimum margins:

– 150 runs in a game over 3 or 4 days;

– 100 runs in a 2-day match;

– 75 runs in a 1-day match.”

To explain it in simple words, if the game starts in Bengaluru sometime on Thursday or Friday, the subsequent game can be awarded with a lead of 150 instead of 200 in the first innings. If it is a two-day Test match, the follow-up match is further reduced to 100 in case of a two-day Test and is 75 in case of a one-day Test.